Bicycle-saddle.



N'o. 797,072. PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905. H. M. PERKIN.

BICYCLE SADDLE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT,10, 1903.

Anwzsw. a. swam 00.. PIOYOJJY'HOGRAPHERS. WASHINGTON. n a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 1

BICYCLE-SADDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I atentecl Aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed September 10, 1903. Serial No. 172,547.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY M. PERKIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bicycle-Saddles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in bicycle-saddles and its object is to provide a saddle of novel and simple construction that will freely adjust itself to the position of the rider, yielding with little or no resistance to longitudinal tilting strain and also affording a superior cushioning effect. Such a saddle not only diminishes the jar on the rider due to passage over obstructions, but it enables him to ride easily and with comfort in any position he wishes, the seat or saddle naturally accommodating itself to any change of position.

Another object of the invention is to provide for such tilting adjustment in connection with the usual vertically-yielding saddle-support and in a simple and effective manner.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure I is a side elevation of one form of my improved saddle. Fig. II is a vertical section on the line II II, Fig. I.

1 designates the seat or body of thesaddle, 2 a spring support or shank that is adapted to be clamped to the top of the saddle-post in'any usual manner, and 3 a hinge or pivotal connection between said seat and support.

The support 2 may be formed as a-U- shaped bent springthat is to say, a spring having two approximately parallel arms connected by a resilient bent portion or bendsaid spring being herein shown as flat in cross-section and having its lower arm extending forwardly for insertion and fastening in the screw-clamp loop 4 on the saddle-post 5, the upper arm of said spring also extending forwardly and having at its end an eye 2", as by being bent into a roll, through which passes the pintle or pivot-pin 3, which also passes through holes in ears 6 6 in an inverted-U-shaped piece 6, attached to a bow or bracket 7 on the under side of the seat 1, said pivot-pin being fastened by nut 8.

Pivot-pin 3 extends transversely of the saddle, so as to allow the latter to tilt in a longitudinal direction, such tilting movement being free or unobstructed through a range or arc of movement sufiicient to allow the rider to assume any usual position of inclination and to permit the seat to accommodate itself accordingly in all such positions. Thus in Fig. I the seat is shown in full lines as in the substantially horizontal position it assumes when the rider is sitting upright. When the rider leans forward, the seat will naturally tilt forward accordingly and will assume an inclined positionfor example, the position indicated in dotted lines. T 0 enable this result to be effected, the pivot 3 must be located at a point substantially under the center of the bearing portion of the seat, so as to enable the seat to be operated naturally as a lever by the pressure of the body forwardly or backwardly of the pivot to bring it to the proper position. By the bearing portion of the seat I mean the portion of the seat which is in contact or engage ment with the riders body, such central location of the pivot in regard to this portion being requisite to enable the rider to tilt the seat by pressure of the body.

The pivot 3 is desirably located forward of the center of gravity of the seat 1, so that when the seat is placed in a substantially horizontal position its own weight will hold it so ,with its rear part resting on the rear part of spring-support 2, the latter acting as a stop to prevent backward movement. A buffer or wearing-piece 9 may be placed on either of the contacting parts at this point to give an easier riding effect and prevent jar.

By locating the pivot 3 under the center of gravity of the rider or the bearing-point, Which is generally substantially at the center of the seat or a trifle to the rear thereof, that portion of the seat will never rise above its normal position in passing from the horizontal to the vertical position. This avoids the necessity of the rider shifting his position longitudinally of the seat or of raising his body in changingfrom the upright or roadster position to the forwardly-inclined or scorcher position, as must necessarily be done where the pivot is located forwardly of said point.

This saddle is particularly adapted for ladies use, as it will bend downward sufficiently to allow the riders dress to hang naturally.

In mountin one leg of the rider will be thrown "over the saddle, thereby bringing it to forward inclined or tilted position, so that the rider can slide easily in position on the seat with less effort than with the usual hori Zontal seat. Then as the rider raises himself to riding position the seat rises correspondingly.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A bicycle-saddle comprising a U-shaped spring and a seat pivoted to the free end of said spring, the bend of said spring forming a support for the rear end of the seat and the pivot of the seat being substantially under the center of the seat in the riding position to allow automatically unrestrained longitudinal tilting movement thereof by the weight of the person seated thereon without change of position on part of rider.

2. In a bicycle-saddle, a flat, substantially U-shaped spring, one end of which is adapted to be secured to the saddle-post and the other end provided with a transverse eye, a seat provided substantially midway of its length upon its under side with perforated ears, a pivot through said ears and said eye, and a buffer between the rear end of the seat and the spring adjacent to the bend of the latter.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, this 1st day of September, 1903.

HARRY M. PERKIN.

Witnesses:

A. P. KNIGHT, JULIA TOWNSEND. 

